Brassiere



Sept. 20, 1955 J. GLICK ET AL- BRASSIERE Filed April 27, 1953 A OR/VE- Y 2,718,009 BRASSIERE Jack Glick, Long Beach, and Irving M. Schuyler, New York, N. Y., assignors to Skylon Corporation, New York, N. Y.

Application April 27, 1953, Serial No. 351,272 2 Claims. (Cl. 242) This invention relates to a non-metallic form for strapless brassieres, brassiere top slips, halters and the like. Wire forms are conventionally used as stiffening frames for strapless brassieres, as well as certain strap-type brassieres, and other similar garments of brassiere nature, including combination garments embodying a brassiere component. These wire forms are made of steel wire and they have been found to be uncomfortable to the wearer. Moreover, it is known that the wire forms may be physically injurious to the person by reason of the continuous pressures which they may exert upon the person. These pressures may, in time, be productive of malignant conditions which not infrequently are fatal.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a non-metallic form or frame for bassieres of this general kind, usually of the strapless variety, and also for all other similar garments in which Wire forms are presently used. The non-metallic form or frame which is herein described and claimed is made of plastic cording bent to appropriate shape. More particularly, this invention makes use of a plurality of plastic cords held side by side in parallel relation to each other. The plastic boning is not as stiff and rigid as steel wire. Rather it is somewhat yieldable and flexible and tending, in grant measure, to conform to the contours of the person of the wearer rather than to compel the person to conform to the precise shape of the form or frame, as is the case with forms made of steel wire.

A single steel wire serves as a conventional wire form for garments of the character described. Since the wire is of relatively small cross-sectional dimensions, it tends to cut into the person of the wearer and this tendency is aggravated by the relative stiffness and rigidity of the wire. in the present invention, a plurality of plastic cords are held side by side in closely spaced relation to each other. In the preferred form of this invention, three plastic cords, each approximately a sixteenth of an inch in diameter, are held side by side in a relatively fiat, tubular tape which measures approximately twelve thirtyseconds of an inch in width. It is this Wide dimension which rests flat against the person and this should be contrasted with the bearing surface of a single thin steel wire of which conventional wire forms are made.

There are at least two factors, therefore, which distinguish the plastic form of the present invention from the steel wire form which is in conventional use. In the first place, the plastic cording of which the present form is made is more flexible and yielding than the steel wire. In the second place, the broader bearing surface of the three-corded tape is immeasurably more comfortable and less injurious to the person of the wearer than the very narrow surface of the steel wire of which conventional forms are made. There are other advantages in the present construction which will become apparent from a reading of the specification.

Although the plastic cording of the present invention is not as rigid or stiff as the steel wire conventionally used, the combination of three plastic cords held side by side in a tubular tape affords a full measure of bodily control. In other words, a plastic form made in accordance with this invention will very adequately support and confine the bust and such other parts of the body as are normally confined and controlled by brassieres or brassiere-like garments.

Other advantages and features of this invention involve nited States Patent Office 2,718,009 Patented Sept. 20, 1955 the use of vertical boning which is padded on the side facing the body of the wearer. This boning may be made of metal and the padding may consist of a layer of foam rubber approximately an eighth of an inch thick. The upper ends of the vertical bones are disconnected from the plastic form herein claimed except to the extent that both the bones and the form are secured to the same garment. Consequently, the rigidity of the vertical bones is not communicated or transmitted to the plastic form.

Another important feature of the invention resides in the angular direction which the vertical boning in the back of the garment takes, coupled with the angular cut of the elastic panels in the sides of the garment. This feature renders it possible for the wearer of the garment to bend, twist or turn at the waist in any normal manner without any interference of a substantial nature on the part of the garment.

Preferred forms of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a front view of a strapless brassiere made in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a front View of a combination strapless brassiere and slip made in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 4 is a back view of said combination brassiere and slip.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the construction of the plastic form and the relationship between said plastic form and the vertical boning.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that strapless brassiere is of the type that possesses a deeply cut opening or space 12 between its two bust cups or pockets 14 and 16 respectively. The bust cups or pockets are upward extensions of front panel 18 which has a binding 20 along its lower edge to finish it off. Four boning stays 22, 24, 26 and 28 are provided in the front panel and they extend from tape 20 to the top edges of the two bust cups or pockets. These boning stays may be made of steel suitably padded to prevent discomfort or injury to the wearer. 22 shown in Fig. 5. On the side facing the wearer is a foam rubber strip 30 which is approximately an eighth of an inch in thickness and at least as wide as the boning stay itself. The boning stay and the strip of rubber padding are both enclosed in a cloth sheath 32 and said cloth sheath is sewn to the cloth of front panel 18. It is desirable to have the rubber strip somewhat wider than the boning stay and in such case both sheath 32 and the rubber strip 30 would be sewn to the front panel ofthe garment, the stitching extending along both side edges of said sheath and said rubber strip.

Outlining the two bust pockets and extending down the sides of the front panel are two plastic forms or frames 34 and 36 which take the place of the wire form or forms of conventional brassieres of the character under discussion. Each one of these plastic forms consists of a plurality of plastic cords suitably sheathed. Fig. 5 provides a cross-sectional view through plastic form 34 and it will there be seen that it consists of three plastic cords 38, 40 and 42 which are enclosed in a sheath 44. This sheath may be described as a relatively flat, tubular tape which is provided with the two parallel rows 46 and 48 of longitudinally extending stitching. These two lines of stitching define or provide three parallel tunnels for the three plastic cords. This is achieved by simply dividing or separating the fiat tubular sheath 44 into three parallel, longitudinally extending compartments or tunnels. These tunnels accommodate the plastic cords relatively snugly and they are consequently held in place therein.

It will be noted in Fig. 5 that plastic form 34 is sewn directly to the front panel. A tape 50 or the like is also sewn to said front panel on the opposite side thereof Illustrative is boning stay from the plastic form. It will be seen. that the upper ends of the sheaths of boning stays 22, 24, 26 and 28 are caught under tape 50. It will further be noted that these boning stays project behind plastic cords 4t) and 42- but they fall short of plastic cord 38. There is no actual contact between the boning stays and the plastic cords and they are held together only because their respective sheaths are sewed to the same panel of the brassiere. This makes for a relatively flexible arrangement whereby the rigidity and stiffness of the boning stays is not communicated or transmitted to the plastic forms.

The lowermost ends of the plastic forms are caught and held under tape 20. Their opposite ends are secured to the front panel of the garment immediately below deeply cut opening 12. This may be done by simply sewing the corresponding ends of the sheaths of said plastic forms to the front panel and a bow 52 may be provided to cover and finish the sewed portions of said sheaths. The bow may also be used, in conjunction with a cross tape'at the back of the panel to strengthen the panel in the general vicinity of where the ends of the plastic forms are sewn to said panel.

Brassiere is provided with a back panel 54' and a pair of side panels 56 and 58 respectively. Fig. 2 clearly shows the design and cut of side panel 58 and it will be understood that side panel 56 is cut in the same way. The front edge 60 of side panel 58 is a straight edge which parallels the corresponding edge 62 of the front panel. Fastening means, such as hooks and eyes or a slide fastener may be provided as a closure between the two panels 18 and 58. This is not shown in the drawing because it is conventional.

The back edge 64 of side panel 58 parallels the front edge for a distance corresponding to approximately threequarters of the length or height of panel 58 commencing at the top and extending downwardly. Said back edge 64 slopes backwardly and downwardly at its lower end to form an angular portion 66. Side panel 58 is shown, therefore, to have parallel sides along its major upper portion and to taper backwardly at its lower portion at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees. Panel 58 is an elastic panel which stretches transversely of itself, horizontally when worn on the person. The sharp angle which separates its upper portion from its lower portion enables the wearer to bend in any normal direction and to any normal extent at the waist without undue confinement or restriction on the part of the brassiere. This is true, irrespective of the waist length of the individual wearer.

Front panel 18 is made of inelastic material and so is back panel 54. t1 will be noted that the back panel is provided with a pair of diagonally extending boning stays 68, said stays being secured to said back panel in such manner that they converge at their lower ends and diverge at their upper ends.

Figs. 3 and 4 relate to a combination brassiere and slip wherein the brassiere component 72 corresponds, substantially, to brassiere 10 above described. Slip 74 is somewhat conventional but it will be noted that it is shirred along that portion of its upper edge 76 which meets the lower edge 78 of the two elastic side panels 80. As the drawing clearly shows, a line of stitching 82 or a plurality of lines of such stitching secure the upper edge of the slip to the lower edge of the brassiere. The only important difference between brassieres 10 and 72 relates to the styling of the two brassieres. Brassiere 10 is provided with two plastic forms 34 and 36 which are spaced from each other as shown in Fig. l. A pair of'inter-engaging looped tapes 84 and 86 are connected to the two forms 34 and 36 across deeply cut opening 12; This, however, is somewhat different from the construction of brassiere 72 since it will there be seen that its two forms 88 and 90 meet at their lower ends immediately above and also behind bow 92. Opening 9,4v between these two forms 88 and is consequently not as, deep or as wide as opening 12 in brassiere 10. Moreover, while forms 34 and 36. are shown to extend downwardly adjacent the side edges of front panel 18 the full length of said front panel, forms 88 and are shown to extend only along the top edges of front panel 96, and to terminate at the sides of said front panel. The construction of plastic forms 88 and 90 corresponds, of course, to the construction of plastic forms 34 and 36.

The foregoing is illustrative of preferred forms of this invention and it will be understood that these preferred forms may be modified and other preferred forms may be provided within the broad spirit of the invention and the broad scope of the claims.

We claim:

1. A brassiere of the character described comprising a front panel, side-panels and aback panel, a pair of spacedapart bust pockets formed in said front panel and having a relatively deep and wide opening between them, and plastic corded forms secured to said front panel along the upper edges of said bust pockets and downwardly along the proximate edges thereof in spaced relation to each other, said plastic corded forms also extending downwardly along the opposite sides of the bust pockets and adjacent the side edges of the front panel and terminating at the lower edge of said front panel, vertically extending boning stays being provided in said front panel, extending from the lower edge of said front panel to the upper edge thereof immediately adjacent and only partly overlapping the plastic corded forms, elastic side panels joined along their front edges to the side edges of the front panel, a back panel joined along its side edges to the back edges of the elastic side panels, the front and back edges of each elastic side panel being substantially parallel to each other except at their lower ends where the back edge sharply diverges from the front edge.

2. A brassiere of the character described comprising a front panel, side panels and a back panel, a pair of spaced-apart bust pockets formed in said front panel and having a relatively deep and wide opening between them, and plastic corded forms secured to said front panel along the upper edges of said bust pockets and downwardly along the proximate edges thereof in spaced relation to each other, said plastic corded forms also extending downwardly along the opposite sides of the bust pockets and adjacent the side edges of the front panel and terminating at the lower edge of said front panel, vertically extending boning stays being provided in said front panel, extending from the lower edge of said front panel to the upper edge thereof immediately adjacent and only partly overlapping the plastic corded forms, a slip secured along its upper edge to the lower edge of said brassiere, said brassiere being provided with elastic side panels whose front and back edges are substantially parallel to each other except at their lower ends where the 1 back edges diverge sharply from the front edges, said slip being shirred along its upper edge in the areas in which the slip is contiguous with the elastic side panels f the brassiere, and vertically extending boning stays being also provided in the back panel of the brassiere, extending from the top edge of said back panel downwardly and convergingly to the lower edge of said back panel to which the slip is secured.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,432,477 Roth Oct. 17, 1922 2,438,062 Lieht Mar. 16, 1948 2,456,872 Hollar Dec. 21, 1948 2,467,924 Amyot Apr. 19, 1949 2,503,357 Shelton Apr. 11, 1950! 2,524,620. Cadous Oct. 3, 1950! 2,649,586 Josephson Aug. 25, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 444,114 Italy Jan. 15, 1949 

